Stampede Park has been our home for more than a century, and we are committed to protecting the natural beauty of the land and the Elbow River. Under the leadership and expertise of the Environmental Protection committee we have many initiatives designed to preserve the earth, air and river way.
In an average day during the 10-day Stampede, the Park's population swells to more than 100,000 visitors, equivalent to a small city. Throughout the park are a number of recycling centres that are the hub for the many recycling programs that run 24 hours a day.
Year-round efforts are also made in our routine operations to minimize the environmental footprint. Examples of these efforts include
- Energy efficiency technology
- Selecting job-appropriate sized vehicles to reduce fuel consumption
- Use of ‘green’ products such as environmentally friendly fuel
- 100 per cent post consumer paper products used when possible
- Protecting the Elbow River and its aquatic life by significantly minimizing hydrocarbons from entering the water
Future development plans for Stampede Park will also incorporate responsible stewardship. Plans are in place to revitalize the Elbow River into an oasis of green. New buildings will include state-of-the-art designs intended to reduce energy consumption and older buildings will be refurbished where possible.
Overseeing all these initiatives is the Environmental Protection committee, formed as a proactive measure by the board of directors in 1996 to protect and enhance the Calgary Stampede's commitment to environmental protection. The committee consists of employees across all levels of our organization and has embarked on projects such as ISO 14001 certification, an environmental management system. Their mandate includes aggressive analysis of anything used, recycled or disposed of at or by the Calgary Stampede.
